


I Just Wanted the Diary Back

by DoctorsRiver (butterflyarashi)



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-05
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2018-05-12 01:44:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5649136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butterflyarashi/pseuds/DoctorsRiver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is my first fic for Doctor Who, if you don't count my one shot. It takes place after "The Husbands of River Song" for the Doctor and after "Forrest of the Dead" for River. The Doctor Picks up Jack Harkness so he can have someone with him who won't die, and he gets an idea to go back for her diary. But wait? Something is wrong. Who is this strange woman he keeps seeing?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am very nervous about this fic. The person who looks over my Sailor Moon fics doesn't like Doctor Who, so bare with me. This is my first one.

Flashback: Delirium

The Doctor was never much for romantic affection, especially in this body. His last regeneration, he at least didn't mind physical touch this one seemed to reject it. He knew all to well what was coming when he saw the singing towers. He couldn't have her to go to The Library without her knowing how completely loved she was.

Part of him wanted to tell her not to take the expedition to the library. That couldn't create too much of a paradox, could it? She doesn't take it, she doesn't send the message, him and Donna go to the beach as planned? He couldn't do that. Him showing up with the TARDIS makes it harder to change things. Besides, he had already tried to manipulate time because of her and it was a lot more difficult to fix than it should been. Well, she had refused to kill him and all of time happened at once.

They ate dinner then went back to the TARDIS. Why pay for a hotel when you have a blue box with more room than you could ever need and you can move it whenever you want.

"Twenty four straight years with you?" She asked with the smirk only she could give

"Unless you get sick of me, my dear. "

"Never. I am more worried about you.

Present: Delirium

He couldn't believe that he had set his wife to her death She had a feeling about it, she told him that she knew the stories; but he also knew she wouldn't dwell on it. He tried not to either, but it was hard for him knowing exactly what would happen. One of the annoying things about tie travel. He knew that he would never see her again, since she didn't recognize his face. She would see him again, but he wouldn't know her. She didn't deserve that, she really didn't. He didn't know how long after their last (24 year long) night she had left. He didn't think that he wanted to know.

For him, it has been about a week, maybe less. Definitely not more. For being called a time lord, he hasn't paid too much attention to the time. He hadn't even left the planet. He had just been thinking.

All this tie since he ad seen her die, and he still hadn't come up with a way to save her. Sure, he was going to save her to the Library. Well he did, the him in past did. Well, his past, her future. He would save her to the Library Data base with her screwdriver Time travel. In the past, he would have said wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey.

It wasn't just River though. There was so much blood on his hands. Allies and enemies alike. Not to mention the centuries hat he thought that he was capable of killing his entire planet, and all of his people. So many dead because of him. He was feeling it again.

River was right though, so long ago she said that he shouldn't travel alone. So many have traveled with him. Rose was in a parallel universe, Donna could never remember him or she could die, Amy and Rory (Poor Ponds) were the victims of the angels, and his last companion, well, all he could remember was the name Clara. Martha and Mickey seemed to be the only ones in recent years that was doing alright. Well as far as he knew. He hadn't seen them in so long.

Then it hit him. Captain Jack Harkness. He was perfect. Well perfect wasn't the word. He could be a little much sometimes, but he couldn't die. He started messing with the controls. The TARDIS was a smart old girl. She could get him to Jack.


	2. Chapter 2

The TARDIS took The Doctor to the same intergalactic bar that Jack was at when he said his goodbye before his last regeneration. He wasn't too surprised that he was hanging out there.

"Captain Jack Harkenss," The doctor said handing a drink to him.

Jack looked at him then to the drink, "You are a little older than what I go for, but who am I to judge?" He flashed a smile at the older stranger.

The doctor wasn't surprised that Jack didn't know he he was. It has been a couple of regenerations since him and Jack had seen each other. "You aren't the least bit curious that I know who you are?"

"I just thought that you had heard about my reputation." It was nice to know that Jack was as cocky as ever.

"I was just wanted to know if you would take a couple trips with me in my blue box."

The Doctor saw the realization come in Jacks eyes. Jack looked behind The Doctor and saw the police box. It wasn't too easy to make out in the dark bar, but that was definitely the TARDIS. He let out a little chuckle. "After all this time Doctor?"

"I've been busy."

"So I have heard, and look at you showing off." Jack thought for a moment. "I think I have had everyone who hangs around here anyway." As they were getting inside The Doctor thought he had seen some familiar curls out of the corner of her eye. No. That can't possibly be her. The past 24 years was just getting to him.

Once inside the TARDIS the doctor started to set the controls and Jack looked around. "It looks so different."

"The desktop has been changed a couple of times since you have been in here.

"I heard a nasty rumor about you, Doctor."

"I am sure you have." He replied hardly paying attention.

"I heard you got married."

The Doctor was silent for a moment and simply replied, "I did."

Jack stared laughing. "It's a good thing Rose is in that parallel universe, or there would have been a fight."

Rose. More guild swashed over him. He took her into the TARDIS right after the time war. He got too close to her. She was a young, impressionable girl, and he was at one of the lowest points in his life. He played into a lot of things he shouldn't have when it came to her.

Jack heard the silence and spoke up. "You were the last person that I wold have pinned to settle down."

"There was no 'settling down' involved." Oh, River Song. Melody Pond. He had know that she as important, or would be important to him for so long. She let things slip than she wanted too each time she had been with him, or maybe she meant to let things slip She was a clever woman, and things didn't happen by accident with her.

He told Jack about the Library first With all the time traveling, he thought that it was easier to go through his time line, rather than hers. Then regenerating, then Amy and Rory. He talked about the messages she kept leaving, Rebooting the universe, him being very angry when she didn't show up to fight at Demon's Run. He was so very angry at her when she showed up and the fighting was over. After he was done yelling at her, she finally told him who she was. He stopped for a moment. It was so long ago for him. He had aged so much in that time. Then he talked about her refusing to kill him, the wedding, and faking his own death.

"So you two weren't really married then?" Jack was intrigued, to say the least. Of course, he would never marry anyone himself. One person, for a very long time? Jack just didn't have that kind of commitment. Even when he was in "relationships", he still didn't let anyone time him down.

The machine I was in was enough for time to be fixed, after she touched it, so it was enough or the dding. Besides who else would have married us? We loved each other and we considered ourselves married." He paused. "River Song wasn't a traditional woman by any means. When I had first met her in the library, I realized who she as to me, I didn't want to fall in love, after I knew I would be the reason she died. I actually didn't think it was possible for me t. I had no idea what could have changed my thoughts on that in the future. I-"

"Still had Rose issues," Jack interrupted.

The doctor knew this was a mistake. "No, I couldn't help it. Eventually events played out s they were supposed to. I have her the diary, we were married, we met up time and time again. Each and every time it hurt more and more, knowing where she would end up and it would be to save me. Then, when we landed in view of the towers, I knew I couldn't run anymore. We already tricked fate with my death, we couldn't with hers as well. For so long, I kept putting it off. Even stopped seeing her all together. Letting the "me" from my other time lines go to her whenever she sent a message." He stopped there. The memories were still too fresh.

"I wish I could have met her," Jack said putting his arm around his old friend's shoulder.

"I bet you do," The doctor replied pulling Jack's arm off.

"What?" I enjoy meeting new people!"

"Right. Meeting." He thought for a moment and ran to the console.

Jack looked confused, but didn't want to interrupt until he heard mumbling. "Doctor?"

"I was so lost in myself, I never thought, I meant, I couldn't until.."

"Doctor?"

"Her Diary. I couldn't have taken it with me that day because I couldn't have had tow of them in the TARDIS. I couldn't risk her seeing ahead or anybody else on board seeing it."

"So, what you are saying is that we are going to risk being taken by the Vashta Nerada to get a diary?" Jack sighed. "I didn't know you to be so sentimental. Rose would be jealous."

He ignored the comment about rose. He felt more guilt than anything when it came to her. He didn't love her, not like he loved River. Rose was around during a very dark time for him, she was more important than some of his other companions, but he was in love with River. This diary wasn't any diary. He had one too, if he wanted to relive the times they had together. That was the main purpose of them. HER diary though, was something that she held and that she had written in herself. Honestly, it was more than that though. It was almost as if something was calling him back. He couldn't explain it.

The TARDIS materialized by the balcony where he had left it. He stepped out and picked it up. He called back into the TARDIS, "I'll b back, I need to see her."

Jack was skeptical. "Is that wise?"

"It should be not long after Donna and I left, so I won't enter the time stream.

"That's not want I meant."

"It's not far from here and most of the Vashta Nerada should be gone. Nobody had a hard time getting out."

The closer that the doctor got, the faster memories came back like it had just happened for him. He made it to the console where she had hooked her self up and he stood there in shock. Her body wasn't there!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I am taking a few liberties, but I don't think it takes away from anything.

“Maybe you looked in the wrong place.”

“Jack, just don't.”

“Wrong time? You know how touchy the TARDIS can be. This wouldn't be the first time you landed slightly off from where you were supposed to. Maybe you were too close to crossing your time stream?”

“She knows I need this. She needs it too, I am sure. She is linked with River.” He still felt the guilt.  
“Well, you said there weren't any bodies when they were “saved” in CAL. ...”

“CAL saved them from the Vastra Narada before they died. There is no way she would have survived. The whole system was fried. I was lucky the sonic screwdriver was able to save her into the data core.”

Jack wasn't there when any of this occurred, All he knew was what The Doctor had told him. He was starting to get worried. He hadn't seen The Doctor in a while, but he had heard stories that regeneration can change The Doctor slightly. Between just haying met him in this regeneration and not having seen him in so long, he hadn't known what to expect. 

If The Doctor hadn't found her diary, he would have thought that she decided not to go for whatever reason. Even if it was just him hoping. 

After more silence than Jack was comfortable with, he broke it. “Are you sure you aren't making something out of nothing?”

“I don't know,” The Doctor admitted. He hated admitting to someone that he was wrong, and to Jack of all people. His mind went bakk to Demon's Run. Before River showed up. When Madame Vastra discovered her DNA was more than just human. Could someone have gotten her because of that? If that was the case, some one would have to know about her death, and he never talked about it. Now this was more than just grief. If there was something in her DNA that someone wanted and it was still usable, then who knows what would happen?

Flashback: Darillium

“You keep staring at me,”The doctor said. They had settled down after dinner, will, River settled down for the first “night”. The Doctor didn't sleep like humans did, but he would lay with her until she fell asleep and return shortly before she would wake up. It was a routine he was in for whenever she stayed with him. 

She smiled, “You don't look like an eleven year old anymore.”

“Is that a problem?” he asked. 

“No, I am just thankful that there is one version of you that I won't have to endure any Mrs. Robinson jokes.”

The talk about his apperence brouht memories back. “River?”

“Yes, my love?”

“How long has it been since Manhattan for you?”

“Almost a year, you?

“Too long,” he replied quietly.

“Doctor?”

“I don't know, I have lost count.” 

“Tell me.”

“I don't know. I am over 2000 years old, River. It has been a very long time.”

She looked at him. She could tell he was older from his eyes, but she would never have gessed that he was over twice the age he was the last time she had seen him.

“Please tell me that you have not been a long all that time.”

“Some of it? Most of it?” He hated not remembering. He didn't want to tell her about hiding out when he lost Amy and Rory. He didn't want to tell her why he had been avoiding her. He knew that would make her cross and that would make HIM miserable. 

She sighed. Him being alone is not good. It wasn't that he couldn't take care of himself. He just got so reckless if he wasn't responsible for anyone else. “I am exhausted so I am going to ignore that for now. “She was happy. For the first time since Manhattan, she was happy She was in the TARDIS for the first time in a long time thought stealing it, an she was with the Doctor. She didn't have long to think though as the Doctor kissed her passionately and started placing his hands all over her body. Looks like she was finally going to finally get to try out this body.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is nothing more annoying than using notebook paper and thinking you have more to the chapter than you actually do.

The Doctor and Jack ended up in the Time Vortex trying to figure out what to do next, when Jack came into the control room with a tube of lipstick.

“I don't think this is your shade, Doctor,” he teased.

“It's River's,” he grabbed it out of Jack's hand. “Hallucinogenic.” Jack raised his eyebrows. “She never used it on me, but it was still extremely useful.” He smiled, thinking of all the times hat she used it to break out of Stromcage before she was pardoned. 

At the thought of River, The Doctor deiced that it was time to try and find out what happened to her body. Not knowing where to start, he went to Demon's Run. It wasn't someplace he was hoping to ever revisit, but it seemed as good a place as any to start.

Before he put in the coordinates, he told Jack what had happened. From Amy being kidnapped, to the battle, to losing Melody, all the way to River's reveal. Jack listened and didn't say a word. Maybe he wasn't always an overage frat boy.

After they landed, the Doctor walked out of the TARDIS followed by Jack. It looked like nobody had stepped foot there since the battle, or at least shortly after. Memories that he never wanted to relive came rushing back. Letting Amy and Rory down, all of the death because he called for every favor he was owed that he could think of, and of course the thought of being let down by River, of all people. Then she told him exactly what he needed to here. That is one of the things that he adored about her. She had no problem telling him how things were without any sugar coating.

As the Doctor looked around, he couldn't find anything that looked too out of the ordinary. Not that he thought it was going to be that easy, he wasn't that naive. Especially when, realistically whatever was happening, if it was happening could be anywhere in space and time.

“Jack, do you still have your vortex manipulator?”

“You mean do I still travel through time “the rubbish way”? Yes, I do.”

The Doctor ignored that. “Can you go in to the future a little bit and see if you can find anything?”

“I really don't know what I am looking for, Doctor.”

“Anything that looks out of place. Anything that you don't see here.” The doctor knows that he snapped a little bit, but he didn't care. He saw Jack leave and he only hoped that he was doing what was asked. He did feel a little more at ease when Jack left. He never did get over the “wrong feeling" that followed Jack ever since he became a fixed point.

As the Doctor looked around for anything that looked out of place, he saw the same wild curls he saw when he picked up Jack. Knowing that no body else should be there, he was confused, but also hopeful. No sooner than he got River's name out of his mouth, she disappeared.

Elsewhere:  
Madame Kovarian was keeping watch of a thin, unconscious woman. She chuckled to herself knowing that he would go back for he diary. After that, he would follow any trap that was laid out for him to rescue his precious Professor River Song.

She couldn't believe that he thought faking his death would change anything. You can erase your name only so many times before you get caught. He still needed to die, he was nothing but a nuisance, and he was still threatening the universe.

She looked at River. Really? Sacrificing herself for him? After all of that work to train her and turn her into the perfect little psychopath. It took more work than that to fix the damage that the electricity did to her body. She was just now getting some color back, she still probably wouldn't make it. No matter. As long it looked like she was still there to save, the plan would work and The Doctor would die!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to get out. I have had some personal things come up. I also went back to the last chapter and fixed a few errors. Sorry I missed them. I am not used to this keyboard and the display is small, so it happens. It shouldn't, but it does.

The Doctor was under the control panel of the TARDIS waking up some things, when he heard the door open. He cautiously left the console knowing that nobody should be able to get in There was no way I hell that he was going to give Jack a key, no telling who or what he wold bring in. When he saw who walked in, both of his hearts stopped as River walked in. There she was in her space suit, the same one that he had seen her die in so many years ago in that fateful day in the library.

“Stopped by on your way out?” he asked, afraid to show any emotion, knowing that if he did, he would beg her not to go.

“What do you mean?” she asked confused. “I just returned form an expedition. You were there! Well, I knew you would be, I called you there.” She smiled at him. “Well, the “wrong you” answered and I have never seen you so young! Too bad you didn't know who I was,” She made that last comment with hat same smirk he had grown used to. It was very easy to tell where her mind was. “Don't worry though, I kept the spoilers to a minimum!”

“I don't understand.”

Rivers's face quickly turned to concern. “Are you feeling alright, my love?”

“You are real?”

“Yes, of course I am real,” she let out a nervous chuckle. “Why don't you rest? I don't know what has gotten into you, bu you are scaring me!”

He reached out and touched her face expecting his hand to go right through her, but it didn't! He actually touched her! Of course, he was able to grab her wrist as she went to slap him in Trenzalore, but this was different. “You are really here!”

Of course I am! Maybe we should get you out of the TARDIS, I am sure Vastra would let you use a bed, she has the room.”

Before she had a chance to give the coordinates tot he TARDIS, he went to kiss her and woke up.

He was not happy about that dream, but he wondered if the old girl caused him to dream that. If she did, she had a reason. He would also rather blame it on the TARDIS than his old brain. It was possible, she was telepathic. He wandered into the control room to see that Jack was still asleep. Although, if Jack was up and about, he probably won't have noticed anyway. He was too busy trying to figure out where to go next, River would know, she always did. 

The Doctor decided that Jack had been cooped up for a while, and if he wanted any peace, he needed to socialize. He decided to go to London. By this time Jack had woken up and The Doctor was almost glad for the company. 

Jack was the first to exit he box, however, he stepped back in rather quickly. “Doc, is this a joke?”  
“What do you mean? You don't have a problem with London, do you?”

“No, but this isn't how I remember it.”

The Doctor stepped out. Yes, they were in London, however it was the Victorian era. He thought back to his dream and River mentioning Vastra. Maybe the old girl was trying to tell him something after all. “While I am here, I am going to go and see some friends, you can go do whatever it is that you do.”

Jack was skeptical. If h didn't know any better, he would of thought The Doctor was trying to get rid of him. Although, the only reason he didn't believe that was true was that The Doctor hadn't deactivated his vortex manipulator yet. 

The Doctor took Jack to the big house that he was going to be in, so Jack would know where to find him if he had to. “I may be here or a while. Go do whatever you want, just be mindful of the eara and don't get into too much trouble.”

“Doc,” he said laughing, “you don't have to worry. It's me we are talking about.”

“Exactly.”

Strax greeted The doctor and brought him to the parlor. It was good to see is friends again. They had helped him out so much. They were there at Demon's Run and after he had lost Amy and Rory and was avoiding River. He didn't want to, but he was trying to prevent the inevitable. They also helped him after he regenerated into this body. Although that memory was a little more fuzzy. 

“Doctor, it's good to see you,” Vastra said as she walked in with Jenny who was carrying a tray with tea. “I suppose you didn't come just for tea.”

The Doctor told her about everything that happened after getting River's Diary rigt up o the dream and how they had come to be in this time period. 

“I am assuming you think that all of this is connected, “she took a sip of her tea. “Are you thinking that River survived?”

“No,” he said quietly, thinking of the Library. “That would have been impossible, that's why he wouldn't let me do it. I would have never made it to the regeneration cycle. I am more worried about what do with her body. If they could find a viable cell and extract anything time lord out....” he couldn't finish. 

Vastra looked at her human wife, worried, remembering how he reacted when he lost her parents and was afraid of losing her too. After being silent for a moment, she asked him, “You aren't giving yourself false hope, are you? The dead cannot be brought back. You may have cheated death once, bu you can't expect it to happen again.”

“No. I have known how she would die for a very long time. I havens' exactly made peace with it, but I have accepted it as much as I can.”

“What do you want from us?”  
He was always grateful for his friends, no matter how painful it was when something happened to them, That was the problem with such a long life span, one way or anther, something would happen to them.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it has been a while. School just started back and I am going to do my best to keep up. Also, anyone willing to beta read for me?

The Doctor was starting to get tired of explaining his and River's story, not that he didn't like it but it was more emotionally draining than he wanted to let out. He was hoping that this would be the final time. If it wasn't for that dream that he had, and the TARDIS bringing him here, he wouldn't have gone through it with them. 

He was getting ready to try and form some kind of plan with the two women when Strax announced Jack. Vastra was about to get up when The Doctor said, “It's alright. He's with me, and trust me you won't need your veil.”

She gave The Doctor a questioning look, but she did trust him. “Show him in, please, Strax.”

Jack walked in laughing, “Can you beliee that guy? My hair does not even look like a.... Hello ladies,” 

Every time. “They are married, Jack.”

Jack looked at the doctor like he was a buzz kill. “So, what their husbands don't know won't hurt..”

“To each other.” 

“Well...”

“Bored already?” He could tell tht his friends were getting uncomfortable, not that h could blame them. 

“The men and women here are too uptight.”

The Doctor shook his head. Last time Jack was on the TARDIS, it took him to the end of the universe. He should have left him there. The old girl always knew what's best. “I'll take Jack home so that he ca do what he needs to do, and then we can finish this discussion.” Really, it was worse than babysitting him. 

Stracks walked both of the gentlemen back to the TARDIS and looked at Jack. “Nexttime, I shall look forward to dueling you to the death.”

“Thanks, I think,” Jack replied scratching his head.

They got into the TARDIS and The Doctor started setting the controls for a more modern London., but she wouldn't budge.

“What's going on?” asked Jack.

“I don't know,” replied The Doctor confused. Then he said softly, “Come on, old girl, don't do this, please. He finally gave up, and no sooner than the doors were locked, the were attacked. The Doctor didn't see what happened before he was knocked unconscious.  
When he came to, The Doctor looked around. He was on the floor of what looked like a hospital room.. He didn't see Jack. He figured he either was left for dead, or went to get help. Either way, he wasn't worried about the ex time agent. 

When he got his bearings together, he noticed that someone was in the bed. There was also machinery that was far too advanced for the time period, at least the time period he remembered being in last. 

He stood up slowly and looked toward the closed door, knowing that it was surely locked. His eyes went toward the perso in the be and saw a mass of curly blond hair. 

Cautiously, he walked closer, and stopped. He could feel his stomach in his chest, and both his hearts stop. There was no mistaking her. It was River. He could see her chest rise and fall as she breathed, just barely though. He could tell her body went through some severe trauma. He had never seen so many scars and burns. Without regeneration energy, it would take her a very long time to heal. His mind went back to Manhattan. There was a time when she wouldn't have wanted him to see it NO wonder she didn't think Bow Tie loved her. He dint have time to feel guilty though. He looked at the monitors. He couldn't understand how her heart, as faint as it was, was beating at all. Not that he wasn't grateful. 

“Oh, my beautiful wife, haven't you suffered enough?” he whispered out loud while stroking her hair.   
He looked around. No windows and the door was wood. His sonic was useless. He pushed on the door to see if he could find any weaknesses, and to his surprise it opened. This only meant one thing. Someone wanted him to find his way out of the room.

He looked at River, wishing she could work out a plan with him. She always knew what to do, he would never admit it to her though. He wondered, just for a moment, if she would actually wake up, then stopped himself. He would be rubbish if he were to be emotional. Some things never change. He decided that he would investigate only as far as he could keep an eye on her. It was was obvious that someone was keeping her alive, but he didn't want that to change.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long... adult stuff...

The Doctor wasn't even half way down the hallway when he heard. “Doctor, did you think we'd forget about you?” He looked around to see Madame Kovarian. “Faking our death and trying to delete your existence. Clever, but not clever enough.” It had been so long for him since Lake Silencio, but who knows how much time for her. To be honest, it didn't matter.

“Oh, you think I am THE Doctor? I'm just A doctor. I know who are thinking of Clever chap, big chin, bow tie...” He said trying to buy some time.

“You know, we killed your friend,” she started, but wait.... it wasn't a pretty female, so you don't care.”

The Doctor chuckled to himself. He knew the chances of that, but he played a long. “You got me. I brought him with me because I knew I was putting him in danger. I only care if I have something pretty enough for me to look at. Jack was good looking, don't get me wrong, just not my type.” As long as he could keep her talking, he could not only figure out her plans, but come up with one himself. “Speaking of pretty females, I see you have my bespoke psychopath. Using her to murder me again?”

“She's betrayed us, why would we trust her again?” The way Kovarian smiled made him take a step back. “I hope you realize that she is as good as dead. You should know that, you were there when it happened.”

“How did you..” Shit. She was still working with the silence still. That was the only explanation he could think of, there was no telling how long he was being followed. He looked around and didn't see anything, but then again, if he did, he wouldn't even know. Yes, humans were killing them on sight still, but there were no telling how many were on Earth, or other plants apparently. Time to switch gears, he thought. “Trenzalore was already in my time stream. Everything you were trying to prevent. It turned out alright.”   
He thought back to the Whisper men and River's data ghost. The first time, in his time stream at least, that he was able to show her any real affection and he was the only one who could see her. One of the many things that he cursed Bow Tie for. Then in his next visit there. Tasha Lem and the Town called “Christmas.” That's where he should have died. There was someone else there, but now was not the time to think of that. 

“You lucked out,” Her voice shouldn't have been that calm. “Trenzalore wasn't the only thing that we were trying to prevent. You are a very dangerous man.” He has heard that from so many people, that he was almost immune to it by now. 

“If you weren't after River to use her, why bring her here?”

“Oh? Your precious River,” He never thought he'd see such an eerie smile, and that is saying something for him. He has seen many smiles. “We were going to the past and kid nap a certain blond ex companion of yours, but we would have had to have gone way back, since you trapped her in a parallel universe. He felt his two hearts leap to his throat. They weren't just talking about messing with the past, they were talking about messing with HIS past. “Looks like you still have a soft spot for her.”

“I care about all who travel with me.”

She ignored him. “I wonder if poor Professor Song knows you still get defensive over other women.” She said mockingly. “There was something that came up during her exam though. It makes me wonder if she hasn't been completely honest with you either. That would probably make it fair.” 

He gave her a look, but he didn't want it to show that she had rattled him. “What do you want with her?”

“She's already served her purpose. We needed a physical body for you to see after you got here. It is more fun that way. We puled her consciousness out of the data bade, that was enough to make the holograms that you saw. We wanted to make sure you were thinking about her.” Damn. He forgot to search the data base for her. “This is what you do, Doctor. She would have had a normal, happy life as Melody Pond if it wasn't for you.” 

If it was anyone else, he may have made mention that she may not have been named Melody if her parents hadn't befriended her in the first place. “You're wrong. Well, I will admit you are right about the people I travel with. Most of em would have been better off not knowing me. You are wrong about River though.” He started to raise his voice. “YOU kidnapped her. YOU turned her into a psychopath and a weapon. You may have done this to go against me, but you get the credit for her.” He wasn't going to let on that he blamed himself for River too. “How about I take her with me, she has been through a lot, you and I can continue this later.” He was trying to let himself calm down, if that was even possible. 

Do you really think she will survive much loner? She is hanging on, but barely. Kovarian chuckled to herself softly. “As broken as you look now, it's hard to believe you were once called “The Oncoming Storm.”

He did his best to make his face blank again. She was trying to make him mad, but she didn't need to know how much she was succeeding. However, he didn't have to worry about it. All of a sudden he heard male voice saying, “This way I'm sure of it!”


End file.
